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April 21, 1931.

E. ALEXANDER ET AL STAMPING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet liT' 3.

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EGBERT ALEXANDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND CHARLES S. DUTTON AND GEORGE E. DERRICK, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA; VICTORY A. DERRICK EXECUTRIX OF SAID GEORGE E. DERRICK, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INSTO- GRAPH, LTD., A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA STAMPING DEVICE Application filed August 17, 1926. Serial No. 129,670.

The present invention relates to improvements in stamping devices and has particular reference to a stamping device in which a plurality of printing wheels are used and are operated by a clock mechanism so as to expose on their active faces the time of the day and the date. The particular object of the present invention is to combine with a clock operated stamping device of this character, an additional feature which allows the time elapsed between two stamping operations to be recorded on the object printed on. It is further proposed in the present invention to arrange the means for recording elapsed time in such a manner that any number of operators may use the stamping device without interfering with the records of the other operators. I

Other objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

Thepreferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which 1 Figure 1 shows a vertical section through our device taken along line 11 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 a front elevation,

Figure 3 a horizontal section taken along line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 a vertical section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

- Figure 5 a vertical section taken along line 5-5 of Figure 3.

While we have shown only the preferred form of the invention it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A shaft 1 which receives rotary motion through the wheel 2 from any suitable clock mechanism in such a manner that the shaft makes one revolution per hour, its movement being divided into sixty impulses representing the sixty minutes of the hour, is suitably supported in a vertical frame comprising a plurality of vertical plates-3, 4, and 6.

A wheel 7, known as the minute wheel, is fixed to the shaft by any suitable means as so by flattening a section of the shaft as shown at 8, and a second wheel 9 serving as hour wheel is loose on the shaft and is operated by the minute wheel in the manner illustrated in detail in Figure 4. As appears from this figure, a cam 11 projects from the outer face of the wheel 7 and allows one end 12 of an elbow 13 to ride thereon, the other end of the elbow being pivotally supported on a shaft 14 resting in the frame members 3 and 4. At the bend of the elbow a pin 16 extends laterally and has pivoted thereto a pawl 17 the free end of which engages with a ratchet 18 fixed to the outer face of the hour wheel 9. The bent portion of the elbow is pulled forward by a spring 19.

It will be seen from this construction that during one revolution of the minute wheel 7, the free end 12 of the elbow rises on the cam 11 and thereby pushes back the bend of the elbow over the resistance of the spring 19, allowing the pawl 17 to take a new bite. lVhen the free end 12 of the elbow drops off the cam, the spring 19. pulls the elbow forward and causes the pawl 17 to advance the ratchet 18 and the hour wheel 9 fixed thereto by the length of one tooth. The ratchet wheel 18 has 24 teeth so that there is one complete revolution-of the hour wheel 9 during a day. A second pawl 21 engages with the ratchet 18 under pressure of the sprin 22 to prevent return movement of the ratchet.

A third wheel 23 is fixed to the free face of the ratchet 18 so as to partake of its rotary motion. This third wheel has the symbols AM and PM embossed thereon to correspond with two sets of figures 1 to 12 on the hour wheel 9. Three further wheels 24, 26, and 27 are supported on a small stub shaft 28, the wheel 24 exposing on its face a number of years such as 1926, 1927, 1928, etc., the second wheel 26 exposing figures running from 1 to '31 and representing the days of the month, and

the third wheel 27 showing the 12 months of the year. Motion is transmitted from the hour wheel to the day wheel 26 in the manner illustrated in Figure 5 by a lever 29 pivoted to the frame as at 31 and provided with a tooth 32 riding on a cam 33 fixed to the face of the AM and PM wheel. The lever 29 is lifted by the cam so as to allow a pawl 34 1' to take a new bite on the ratchet 36 fixed relative to the day wheel 26 and when the tooth'32 drops offthe cam a spring 37 pressing the lever 29 downwardly advances the ratchet-36 by the length of one tooth, a sec ond pawl 38 preventing return movement.

The principal feature of the present invention' is the twp wheel's4l and 42 both revolvably mountedon the shaft 1. These two wheels, whichmay he called thelapsed time wheels, are used to indicate on the object printed, the time elapsed between two printing operations. They are arranged in such a manner that at the first operation they will makea zero mark on the ticket and on the second operation the will marl: the time ed as follows A ri117192t nn 315 indicating that he has been in the factory three hours and fifteen minutes.

The two lapsed time wheels 41 and 42 are operated by means of two operating elements 43 and 44in the following manner:

Above theshaft 1 there are supported in the frame of the structure two shafts 46 and 47 which latter-shaft carries at its front end the operating member 43 and at its rear end i a gear wheel 48 transmittin motion through a" gear wheel 49gon the shaft 46 to the gear wheel 51 fi zed to the lapsed time wheelx42, The second operatin element 44 is fixedlon the sleeve 53 revolvable onthe shaft 4? which latter sleeve transmits motion to the lapsed time wheel 41 through a gear wheel 54 at the rear end thereof,a second gear wheel 56 on the shaft 46 and aithi'rd gear wheel 5f7-fixed to the face of'the lapsed time i'vheel- 4 f1. It will be seen that int-hismaimer the two lapsed timegwheels 41am, 42 may be turned any manner desired by manipulation of the two operating members 43 and V The latter operating members movel'over the two dials 58'and59 respectively. These two dials are revolvably mounted on two con centriosleeve's 61 and 62, and are operated by the hour and minute wheels and 7, the dial 59throug-h the gear 64 on the rear'end of the sleeve-62,.the gear 66 on the shaft 46 and the gear 6? fixed to the hour wheel 9,. while the dial 5 8 is operated through the gear 68, two pinio'ns 69 and 1 transmitting its motion to a coaxial gear72 mounted on a short shaft '73 alinedwith the shaft 4'4", the

l gear 74; on the shaft 46, and the gear 76 fixed.

on the shaft 1 so as to move with the minute wheel 7.

The two dials 58 and 59 are geared to the hour, and minute wheels 9 and 7 in such a manner that when the hour and minute -wheels 9 and 7 expose the correct time at their active printing faces the two dials expose the same time opposite a 'stat io'n'ary. polntmarked 77. The' two lapsed time wheels 41 and 42are;geared to their operating elements 43 and 44' respectively in such a manner that when the twooperating el ements are set opposite the stationary point.

'17, the two lapse d time wheels indicate two dashes at the printing face. The dials 59 and 58 areprovided with a circular series of holes 7 8 and 79, the hour dial 59having twenty four of these perforations correspond ing to thehours of the day and the minute dial 58having sixtyof theseperforations cor responding to the minutes ofthe hours; The

operating elements 43and 44 have pins'81 and 82extending through the ends thereof,

which pins may be inserted in'the perfora tlons 78and- 79 respectively so as to cause the operating elements to revolve with the dials.

The device is used asfollows Assumingthe operator enters the factory at 8215, he will find that the hour and minute wheels 9 and 7 disclose at the bottom, the numerals-8 and 15. respectively, while the wheels 23, 24, 26 and 27 give the remaining data, namely, AM and the date He will also find that the twodials 58 and 59 occupy such a position as to show opposite the stationary point Tithe correct time, namely 8 on the hour dial and 15 on the minutedial; V

The two operating members or hands43 and" 44hr, mayfind 111 any positlon. according to their last use The only operation required of him before stamping his time card, is to revolve the two hands 43 and 44 so that both are opposite the stationary point 77 which mean-s that the lapsed time wheels 41 and42 occupy a position so as to :diselose zero'or rather, two dashes at thebottom face. When stamping his time card,.the latter will re ceive the following data ept-hi7 1926 AM .8 15

r The operator now goes on with-his work. while other operators may use the device in the same manner, securing their respective.

stamps on their cards.

'lVhenthe first operator leaves the factory atll 230, he will find the following situation:

The hour and minute wheels 9 and 7 have" advanced to show the correct" time, namely,

11 :30 at the bottom faces, while the two dials 58 and 59 have also advanced to show 11:30

opposite the point'ZT. The two hands '43 and 44 may be in any position left by the last operator. The first operator now proceeds to place the two hands 43- and 44 in their original positions, that is, at 8:15 on the dial, which means that the hands have been moved from a place opposite the stationary point 7 7 by an angle indicating a lapse of time of three hours and fifteen minutes and since the lasped time wheels 41 and 42 are geared to the hands 43 and 44 they move through the same angle and show at their bottom faces the lapsed time, namely, three hours and fifteen minutes, so that the stamp on the time card will read April 17 1926 AM 11 3O 3 15 It will be seen that the device may be operated successively by any number of users without any interference whatever.

\Ve claim 1. In a stamping device of the character described, two parallel shafts, two printing wheels mounted on one of the shafts, a sleeve on the second shaft in driving relation with one of the printing wheels, a second sleeve on the first sleeve in driving relation with the other printing wheel, a graduated dial mounted on said second sleeve, and a hand on the second shaft, movable over the dial.

2. In a stamping device of the character described, two parallel shafts, two printing Wheels mounted on one of the shafts, a sleeve on the second shaft in driving relation with one of the printing wheels, a second sleeve on the first sleeve in driving relation with the other printing wheel, a graduated dial mounted on said second sleeve; a hand on the second shaft movable over the dial, and a second hand on the first sleeve movable over the dial.

3. In a stamping device, a printing wheel, a revolvable dial having graduations thereon corresponding to the characters on the printing wheel so as to indicate opposite a fixed point the character exposed on the printing wheel; a second printing wheel, a

, hand coaxially mounted with the dial and being movable over the dial face; and an operative connection between the hand and the second printing wheels so as to cause the second printing wheel to print a character indicating the amount of rotation necessary to revolve the first printing wheel to the position corresponding to a graduation opposite to the fixed point from a position corresponding to another graduation on the dial, when the handle is moved opposite said second graduation.

4. In a stamping device, a printing wheel, a revolvable dial having graduations thereon corresponding to the characters on the printing wheel so as to indicate opposite a fixed point the character exposed on the printing wheel; a second printing wheel, a hand coaxially mounted with the dial and being movable over the dial face; an operative connection between the hand and the second printing wheel so as to cause the second printing wheel to print a character indicating the amount of rotation necessary to revolve the first printing wheel to the position corresponding to a graduation opposite to the fixed point form a position corresponding to another graduation on the dial, when the handle is moved opposite said second graduation; and means for allowing the hand to be fixed to the dial so as to bring about the change of position in the second printing wheel automatically.

5. In a stamping device, a printing wheel, a datum marker, means bearing numerical indicia adapted successively to register with said datum marker, and means movable relative to said datum marker and to said first means for setting said printing wheel, said movable means being adapted to set said printing'wheel in zero position when said movable means is in registry with said datum marker and with a. selected one of said numerical indicia and being adapted to set said printing wheel in position to print the numerical difierence between said selected numerical indicium and a second selected oneof said numerical indicia when said second selected numerical indicium is in registry with said datum marker and said movable means is in registry with said first selected numerical indicium.

6. In a stamping device, a printing wheel,

a datum marker, a disc bearing a plurality of numerals mounted to rotate past said marker, and a hand for setting said printing wheel to point the numerical diflerence between one of said numerals in registry with said datum marker and another of said numerals in registry with said hand.

7. In a stamping device, a mutatable rinting means, a datum marker, a member aving numerical graduations, said member being movable relative to said datum marker for placing any selected one of said gradua-- tions in registry with said datum marker, and a setting member movable into registry with any selected one of said graduations for mutating said printing means to print the numericaldifierence between the graduation in registry with said datum marker and the raduation in registry with said setting mem- 8. In a stamping device, a datum marker,

a mutatable printing means, a member displaceable with respect to said datum marker, a connection between said member and said printing means for mutating said printing means in proportion to the displacement of said member from said datum marker, and a member having graduations for indicating the displacement between said first member I and said datum marker.

9. In a stamping device, a datum marker, a graduated dlsc rotatable with respect to said marker, means for rotating said disc at a constant rate, a printing wheel, and means 

